Love Above All
by novemberskie
Summary: Alfred cares, Mattie hurts, and Ivan is the reason? Angsty piece of fluff.


**_Some UsCan fluff3_**

_**Enjoy! ;3**_

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I always felt so dirty afterwards. It wasn't like I could control the way things went, but it was depressing. I felt like I was being used, and left, and I'd wake up feeling so... Alone.

And then _he_ would appear. He came every morning to make sure I was okay. Blue eyes would meet my lilac orbs, and they'd glaze over as if he didn't care about the bruises on my body, but I knew better. He cared, just like any best friend should. I still felt dirty, but I didn't feel alone anymore. He would sit and talk to me, pretend he didn't want to see how many bruises were hidden by the blanket that covered my lower torso, pretend he didn't want to kill Ivan for hurting me.

"I'm fine." I would tell Alfred, running a hand through my messy blond hair. He always told me how much he liked it long, unlike his shorter blond hair, but I'd always tell him I liked it, and he wouldn't change it for anything.

"Mattie?" Alfred said one day after a particularly rough night. "You're bleeding."

"What?" His fingers gently touched my lip before pulling back to show me. Sure enough, there was blood on the tip of his finger. "Oh..."

"Come here." He took a tissue and dabbed at it gently. "There."

"He's not a bad man." I whispered, my eyes pleading for Alfred to understand. He had been my best friend since we were in middle school, and we had been attached at the hip. However, when we got into high school, things changed. I met Ivan, and Alfred met no one. He had just always been there to protect me from everyone and everything.

He couldn't protect me from myself.

Ivan had started to get abusive, but I loved him. The pain he had inside was taken out on me, but I understood. I loved him, and he loved me. The abuse took a sexual turn, and I didn't object. He NEEDED me.

"Mattie?" Alfred caressed my cheek gently. "Mattie, please understand where I'm coming from. He's hurting you. I'm watching you die inside... It's painful..."

"Then don't watch." I replied tiredly.

"I can't help it." Alfred said softly, smiling that small smile only I got to see. He really should smile more often. "I love you."

Alfred leaned in closer, his lips almost brushing mine. I was too shocked to do anything but sit still, until I heard the bedroom door slam shut. I jerked back to see Ivan glaring menacingly at Alfred, all the child-like qualities I loved about him gone.

"I-Ivan, he didn't mean it." I jumped up, holding my hands together to beg. "Please don't hurt him for what I did. It was me, I swear."

Ivan simply looked down at me, pain in his eyes. "I'm enough, da?" He asked softly, fingers coming down to caress my cheek.

"Yes, you're enough." I replied, wiping the year that fell from his own violet eyes, before reaching up to play with a strand of his sandy blond hair. "More that enough."

Ivan turned to look at Alfred, before walking over to the door and leaving. I sighed, and dropped down to my knees, relief heavy in my body.

"That was all me." Alfred said quietly, hurt obvious in his voice. "Why did you tell him it was you?"

"Because I can risk getting hurt." I whispered, staring at my scarred hands. "But I can't risk losing you." I started to sob, burying my face in my hands. "You're a-all I ha-have-have left."

Alfred put his arms around my shoulder, and pulled me into his lap, his arms wrapping around me so I didn't fall from his lap as I cried into his t-shirt. "Hush, you're going to be okay."

"How can it be okay?" I whimpered into his chest. "I'm endangering you. It'd be better if I just left with Ivan, and save you the–"

"No." Alfred said firmly. "We're going to get this taken care of. You're being abused. It's not love. It's parasitic."

"Alfred, how can–"

"We'll find a way to save you." Alfred cupped my cheeks in in his hands, looking me dead in the eye. "Because I love you."

His lips suddenly met mine gently, but firmly. At first, I began to pull away, but after a moment, I sank into the kiss. He refused to go any further, but when he pulled back, I was still breathless.

As I leaned against him, I breathed in his scent.

"I love you..."

I didn't know how, but somehow, things would work out.

Isn't love the strongest force in the universe?


End file.
